Using QM

[steevey]

Since particle waves tend to act like sine waves, is there someway I can use a normal graphing calculator or normal 3D one to make predictions in the QM world using the sine function?

[swansont]

Since particle waves tend to act like sine waves

 

Only very simple systems give you sine waves.

[steevey]

Only very simple systems give you sine waves.

 

Well all particles act like waves all the time in at least some way, but otherwise, what other type of wave would you graph things as? Because you can use 3 dimensional graphs to give you the shape of an orbital using wave mechanics and how particles act like sine waves...

 

 

Could I do an molecular analysis with it? Like with those hybrid orbitals?

 

 

[ajb]

In one dimension you can very easily get a qualitative idea of the shape of the wave function given the potential. I recall it is well explained in Albert Messiah's book(s).

[mississippichem]

Since particle waves tend to act like sine waves, is there someway I can use a normal graphing calculator or normal 3D one to make predictions in the QM world using the sine function?

 

You can find solutions for a particle in a finite 1-dimensional potential well that satisfy the Shroedinger Equation. This is often one of the first QM lessons taught in undergraduate classes, and though very simple it is quite instructive. You can see how the Hamiltonian works at the basic level and see how eigenfunctions fit into the picture.

 

This scenario is sometimes called the "particle in a box" case.

Edited April 4, 2011 by mississippichem